


NOW We're Getting Somewhere

by MaliceManaged



Series: A Norse God's Questionable Ideas Of Courtship [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: And Gets Slapped For His Efforts, Developing Friendships, Gen, Light Angst, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Needs a Hug, Love Confessions, So Loki Gets A Hug, he deserved it, more or less
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 16:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6760708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One kidnapping (again) later, Loki finally reveals his intentions towards Luna. Sort of...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    Luna woke up in a bed that was definitely not her own. Which, alright, wasn’t really that unusual given the fact that she hadn’t slept in her own bed for some two months or so. What _was_ unusual was that she didn’t quite remember falling asleep. And this bed was softer than the one in the safehouse.

 

    And she wasn’t alone.

 

    As soon as that last realisation sunk in, she sat up in a flash and looked behind her to find Loki sitting up against the headboard reading her book, and then she quickly scrambled off the bed, almost falling to the floor in her haste.

 

    “This is quite an interesting tale, for a children’s book.” Loki commented before carefully marking the page, closing the book and setting it down on his lap to turn his attention to her.

 

    “What...” Luna began then paused and took a breath, “What happened?”

 

    “You fainted,” Loki replied, looking a bit apologetic, “I... may not have been as careful with that teleportation spell as I could have been.” He looked her over. “Are you alright?”

 

    “No, I am not alright; you frigging _kidnapped_ me!” Luna half-yelled.

 

    “Well, that’s just a matter of perspective, little bird.”

 

    “Stop _calling_ me that!”

 

    “I wasn’t aware it bothered you that much; I apologise.” Loki replied with blatant insincerity, earning a glare. He sighed then moved across and off the bed to stand in front of her. “Alright; I’ll stop. Truly.” He said seriously.

 

    Luna sighed tiredly. “What do you want from me?” She asked, a slightly pleading expression on her face, “Just... This _has_ to _stop._ Just tell me what you want.”

 

    The next thing Luna knew, Loki’s hand was cradling the back of her head and his lips were on hers. For a moment she froze, eyes wide, as her mind played catch-up, and then her lids slowly fluttered shut and she found herself kissing him back. When they parted Loki smiled down at her and she smiled back slightly.

 

    And then she reached her hand up and slapped him.

 

    “That was... not the reaction I was hoping for...” He said bemusedly, looking back at her with a bewildered expression.

 

    “That’s what you get for not asking first.” Luna replied simply with a shrug.

 

    “My mistake.” He muttered with a slight frown as he placed his hand on his cheek to soothe the sting. Which reminded him... “You are far stronger than you appear,” He said with a hint of suspicion, “I actually _felt_ that.”

 

    Luna shrugged noncommittally then looked around the room, taking in the high ceiling and walls and floor that seemed to be made of wood, the furniture that was _definitely_ carved dark wood, the lit stone fireplace in the far end, and the open balcony to the side. She walked over to that and looked out, finding a lovely view of a vast forest, a dark sky littered with more stars than she had ever seen peeking through the canopy of leaves above.

 

    She felt Loki come to stand behind her and looked over her shoulder at him. “Where are we?” She asked curiously.

 

    “Alfheim,” Loki replied, “More specifically, a home I keep here, away from prying eyes.”

 

    Luna hummed then looked back outside. “It’s beautiful.” She said softly after a moment.

 

    “You’ve seen nothing yet.” Loki replied with a small smile; he’d had a feeling she would like it here, judging from her reaction to Vanaheim. “I’ll take you outside tomorrow,” He said, placing an arm over her shoulders and leading her back inside the room, “For now, you should eat. You slept most of the day away; you must be hungry.”

 

****

 

    After dinner Luna sat on the floor before the fireplace of the room Loki had grown for her - which she was still trying to wrap her head around; apparently light elf residences were just that convenient if you knew how to work with them - staring into the flames, deep in thought. It felt nice to be out of the surprisingly oppressive safehouses SHIELD decided to dump her in, but it didn’t change the fact that she didn’t _choose_ to be here. It seemed to her that ever since Hydra had shown up, everyone thought they knew what was best for her without really bothering to ask her what _she_ thought about it; treating her like a helpless child, whether intentionally or not. Add that to the fact that she still didn’t know anything about what had happened to her father, and she had been in a state of near-constant stress and worry. She’d give anything to hear from him again; he was all she’d had for most of her life and still the most important thing in it. She didn’t like not knowing where he was or if he was even still alive.

 

    And then there was Loki.

 

    So, apparently he was interested in her, as weird as that was to accept. Luna had to wonder just how deep that interest went, and whether or not it was mutual. Clearly there was _some_ attraction, or she never would have kissed him back, but she couldn’t deny he still scared her a little. First impressions are hard to get past, she supposed. Still, he hadn’t actually hurt her yet, and she was beginning to doubt he would. _Could?_ Certainly; he said it himself. But that was quite a step from ‘would’.

 

    “Are you aware you nibble on your lip when you’re thinking?” Loki asked from somewhere besides her, startling her slightly.

 

    “It’s been mentioned.”

 

    “May I ask what it is you’re thinking of?”

 

    Luna hesitated for a moment, not sure she wanted to share her exact last thoughts just yet. “Just... my dad.” There; not a _complete_ lie. Loki raised an eyebrow, as though he didn’t _quite_ believe her, which she supposed he didn’t given how perceptive he’d proven himself to be. “He would’ve liked it here,” She continued, looking around the room, “He loved the outdoors.”

 

    “Rather ironic for someone who spent most of his time indoors.” Loki commented and Luna laughed a bit.

 

    “It was the _one_ thing he always hated about his job.” Luna said with a wistful smile that gradually faded.

 

    “I could find out what SHIELD knows.” Loki offered.

 

    “I’d appreciate that,” Luna replied, looking back at him, “Even if it isn’t good news; it’d be better than not knowing.”

 

    “Would you be willing to wait a few days? I’d rather not show myself on Midgard again quite so soon.”

 

    “It’s not like I have a choice,” Luna said with a slight snort, “I can’t exactly _make_ you go.”

 

    “I think you’ll find you’re not giving yourself enough credit, my lady.” Loki said with a slight smile, moving to sit next to her.

 

    “Oh, I’m a _lady_ now, am I?” Luna asked amusedly, shifting slightly to face him better.

 

    “Are you not?” Loki asked back, tilting his head to the side slightly in mock confusion.

 

    “Oh, every other Friday...” Luna replied more-or-less seriously with a shrug, to which he chuckled.

 

    A moment of silence followed as they stared into the fireplace, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. While Luna’s were mostly occupied with her father, Loki was debating with himself as to how to move forward from there; he hadn’t really thought about how Luna would react to his bringing her here, if he were to be honest. He had just assumed she’d be happy to be away from SHIELD’s idea of ‘safety’. He knew for a fact she hated the safehouses, no matter how nice (and he used the term quite loosely) they were. Instead, she accused him of kidnapping. Which, yes, it _could_ be considered that, he supposed. Personally, he preferred ‘rescue’.

 

    He’d taken a chance in kissing her, but he quite simply hadn’t been able to think of a single thing to say, which for _him_ was quite a thing. The fact that she returned the kiss told him there wasn’t a lack of interest, regardless of her latter reaction, for which he accepted full responsibility; she was right, after all, he really should have asked first. Still there was clearly some resistance.

 

    She was scared of him, that much was obvious, however deep the feeling went. He reasoned it couldn’t be that bad if she was willing to sit so close to him so calmly, but there was clearly _some_ unease and he was rather at a loss as to how to remedy it. It seemed with every step forward he took three back. He supposed it shouldn’t be _that_ surprising; he had quite the track record for ruining everything he touched, after all.

 

    So wrapped up was he in those quickly darkening thoughts, he failed to notice Luna had looked over to him and was watching him intently. He only noticed when she had raised herself up to her knees, moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him in a sudden hug.

 

    For a moment Loki simply sat there stunned, and then he slowly raised his arms and returned the embrace. “At the risk of ruining this moment,” He began softly after some hesitation, “Why?”

 

    “You looked like you needed it.” Luna murmured back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love sudden bursts of inspiration. I really do.

    “Why do you fear me?” Loki asked suddenly in the middle of breakfast.

 

    “... Really? We’re doing this _now?”_ Luna asked back, her hand paused half-way to lifting a piece of fruit to her mouth. Loki merely looked at her expectantly and she sighed and lowered her hand. “I’m not... _afraid_ of you, exactly... It’s just...” She began, trying to think of the right words to what might quickly become a touchy subject, and then ran her hands through her hair to push it off of her face, “Well; you didn’t exactly make a very good first impression.”

 

    _There; that should be safe enough,_ she hoped.

 

    “As I recall,” Loki said, brows furrowing slightly in thought, “I wasn’t doing anything when we first met.”

 

    “Well, not _then,_ but that... wasn’t really the first time I saw you,” Luna replied, earning a questioning look, and she sighed softly, “I was in New York when you invaded. You walked right past me, actually.”

 

    “I... don’t recall that.”

 

    “Well, you seemed pretty occupied; not surprising you didn’t notice me. Which, despite everything that happened that day, I’m actually _really_ glad for.”

 

    “I wouldn’t have...” Loki began almost indignantly before he paused and thought for a moment then looked away. “I might not have hurt you.” He finally said, although he didn’t sound so sure.

 

    “No offence, but, um, _‘might’_ is not particularly reassuring when things are blowing up and people are getting killed around you,” Luna replied, picking at the food in front of her absently, “Plus, you look _really_ intimidating when you want to.”

 

    “Fair enough,” Loki said, keeping his expression somewhat neutral. There was no real point in letting his guilt over that particular mistake show, he figured; what was done was done. At least now he knew where he’d gone wrong with her. “While I can’t speak for then,” He began, looking back at Luna seriously, “I can say with absolute certainty: I have no intention of harming you in any way now.”

 

    Luna looked back at him, nibbling her lower lip a bit. “I’m beginning to see that.” She said after a moment.

 

    “Good.” Loki replied before they returned to their meal.

 

    And if he sounded a bit more relieved than he intended, Luna didn’t comment on it.

 

****

 

    As promised, after they had eaten (and after Loki provided Luna with a dark grey sundress from her closet that she raised an eyebrow at but said nothing about), they left the house - which was really more of a manor, now that she got to see it from the outside - and walked through the forest until they reached a clearing with a spring. Looking into the water, Luna could see clear down to the bottom, along with some rather colourful fishes; she knelt down and dipped her fingers into the water, causing the fish to scatter, and let out a slight giggle.

 

    After a while of sitting there, Luna turned to look at Loki to find him staring intently at his reflection, apparently deep in thought. She frowned and hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should, before lifting her hand and poking his arm, getting his attention. “It’s not your fault.” She said softly to his questioning look.

 

    Loki blinked, not quite expecting that. “What isn’t?” He asked guardedly.

 

    He hadn’t said any of his thoughts aloud, had he?

 

    “Whatever you were thinking about,” Luna replied, and he almost sighed in relief that she didn’t _actually_ know what was on his mind after all, “It’s not your fault.”

 

    “What makes you think I was blaming myself for anything?” He asked, curious now.

 

    “I’ve seen that look before,” She replied with a slight shrug, earning an even more curious look. She sighed and stared back at the water. “I was six when my mom left,” She began softly, “She didn’t say good-bye, she didn’t leave a note; she just... _left.”_ She stared down at her hands on her lap and took a steadying breath. “That whole first year after, all dad did was work, so I started blaming myself. I figured I _had_ to have done something wrong; mom was gone and dad didn’t seem to want to be around me,” She looked back at him with a wry smile, “Clearly the problem was me, right?”

 

    Loki hummed slightly in understanding; he knew _that_ feeling all too well. He risked reaching for her hand, and was pleased to find she didn’t pull away, merely stared down at them as he entwined their fingers.

 

    “Of course, when I was older I understood that dad was just depressed and that it was hard for him to look at me ’cause I’m nearly a mirror image of my mother,” Luna added after a moment, “But that didn’t really help much at the time.”

 

    “Did you ever learn why your mother left?”

 

    “No. Dad said they had problems, but I don’t really remember it being that bad.”

 

    “Perhaps they were trying to shield you from the worst of it.” Loki suggested, a hint of bitterness seeping into his voice despite his efforts.

 

    “Yeah, ’cause _that_ always works out well.” Luna said with slight snort, “Anyway, we’re getting off topic here.”

 

    “Are we?” Loki said with feigned lightness, “I hadn’t noticed.”

 

    Luna pulled her hand back to her lap and sat up straight, facing him with a serious expression. “Okay, you know what? This... is not going to work,” She said firmly, “If we’re going to be friends; that means we need to share. And so far, I’m the only one sharing.”

 

    Loki looked away with a sigh. He wasn’t naïve enough to think this problem wouldn’t arise sooner or later, but part of him had _really_ been hoping for the latter, when he had the time to think about just how much he wanted to tell her about himself. There was a lot he didn’t want to share, for his own sake as well as hers.

 

    “What exactly do you want me to tell you?” Loki asked as he looked back at her.

 

    “Let’s make this easy; what were you thinking about when you were staring at your reflection before?”

 

    Loki immediately tensed then frowned. Of _course_ she would ask that; and he just _had_ to be thinking about _that_ particular thing _today_ of all days.

 

    Life really has a twisted sense of humour.

 

    “I would really rather _not_ speak of that.” Loki replied almost defensively after a moment.

 

    Luna frowned then sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, and looked away, clearly disappointed. She hadn’t exactly been expecting his life’s story, but after all his insistence to be around her and interrupt whatever she had for a life these days, she was expecting something better than _that._ She figured she was owed that much at least.

 

    “Fine, then.” She replied coolly, staring intently at the fishes like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

 

    Loki sighed, realising he had messed up again, and then glared down at his left arm like it had betrayed him. If there was one thing he didn’t want her to know _ever_ , it was that particular detail about himself. It didn’t bother him quite as much as it used to, considering he rarely actually thought about it, but that didn’t mean he was ready to share it just yet. There was simply no telling what the reaction would be; he didn’t think it was worth the risk.

 

    But what if he was wrong?

 

    What if, by some miracle, she didn’t take the news as badly as he feared she might? Could he really take that chance?

 

    Of course, he _could_ simply lie to her; she would never know, after all. But he didn’t _want_ to lie to her. Despite his reputation and titles, he didn’t lie _half_ as much as people assumed.

 

    _To Hel with it,_ Loki thought to himself. How much worse _could_ it get, really? “I’m adopted.” He began, getting Luna’s attention.

 

    And then he took a deep breath, looked back at her, and proceeded to tell her everything.

 

    By the time he finished speaking, Luna’s expression had gone from being surprised, to angry, to horrified, angry again, and finally to somewhere between sympathetic and just sad. Tears were shed at some point, and for his part, Loki was infinitely glad no one else was there to see his.

 

    There was silence for a long while as Luna processed everything he’d said, until Loki broke it with some reluctance. “So, that’s it,” He said, not quite sure how to proceed, “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

 

    For a moment Luna said nothing, and he began to grow nervous, thinking that maybe he’d made a mistake. “What’s your favourite colour?” Luna randomly asked.

 

    Loki blinked, caught completely off guard, and then he began to laugh; a long, genuine laugh that brought a large smile to Luna’s face before she joined in, contagious as it was.

 

    When he could finally stop laughing, Loki looked back at Luna with a smile. “You have quite a talent for destroying my expectations, little bird.” He said fondly.

 

    “You’re welcome.” Luna replied then moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, finding that she didn’t mind the nickname quite as much anymore.


End file.
